Xurave PocketQube Kit

PocketQube is a type of miniaturized satellite for space research, typically measuring 5 cm per side (one-eighth the volume of a CubeSat), weighing no more than 250 grams, and usually employing commercially available components for its electronics (COTs).

In developing countries, providing easy-to-use learning tools is crucial to promoting STEAM careers and highlighting that these technologies are already a present reality. They will also play a key role in future technological revolutions, such as space exploration.

Part 1.- Idea

Xurave PocketQube Kit (XPK) was created as an initiative to develop low-cost educational materials. This tool is to explore and engage in space sciences through educational empowerment and open access to space technologies. With this highlights the need for tools that allow STEM students to explore and engage in this field.

XPK is a tool designed for university-level teaching environments, enabling students to interact with an electronic and mechanical system that adheres to the dimensional standards of a functional PocketQube. It also features a structure based on subsystems and payloads, mirroring the design of a PocketQube used in an orbital mission. However, XTK is designed for the incorporation of elements that can be designed such as a microcontroller-based control system that allows programming blocks and thus the use of the platform to take it to educational levels such as high school or middle school, thereby making a flexible platform according to the needs of teaching.

Part 2.- Design Proposal

Xurave Kit is a design that, using a single breakaway-style PCB, allows for the assembly of a structure similar to a theses. For this design was used Autodesk Fusion for the electronic design and the mechanical part used in the structure of assembly.

The reason for developing this design is to provide a rapidly evaluable board, ultimately encouraging the use of the PCB as part of the creation of structures. This is achieved by incorporating subsystems that represent each segment of the PCB.

The breakway PCB design is not only a cost-effective manufacturing decision, but an invitation to active user interaction with the electronics. By having to physically separate each subsystem, the participant symbolically breaks with the perception and/or conception that circuits are rigid and unalterable structures. Breaking the PCB forces to manipulate and transform the object to make it functional for its final purpose.

Part 3.- Make prototype

Thanks to lots PCBWay company, for producing the first prototype of XPK PCBs This is the first design (Rev. A) that I designed is composed of :

• OBC & COMMS

The core of this project is based on an nRF54L15, making the kit a device that also enables interaction with IoT concepts. Additionally, it features a communication system based on a LoRa module, resulting in a PocketQube that allows for the evaluation of monitoring and data transmission systems.

• EPS

The EPS board is a subsystem that is based on the MCP7382X Li-Ion Battery Charger. But the most important part of this subsystem is the use of resources recovered from technological waste.

During the last few months the waste of electronic cigarettes has attracted attention, because they are single-use devices and their battery in my country is discarded without a major care. It is there that for the design of these kits has been made the task of rescuing the Li-ion batteries and be able to give them a second use, which really in many cases is a second charging cycle because many of these discarded devices does not allow to recharge neither the chemical nor the batteries, being a product of a life of one month or less....

Another important resource recovered for the design of the EPS subsystem is the 3.5mm plugs of the headphones that end their life cycle. As devices that are complex to repair, many of them are discarded; this is where the plug for the kit serves as a remove before flight (RBF) key.

The operation of the RBF key is responsible for turning off the PocketQube when it is in storage, so it is important for the kit not to overlook these small design details so that the approach to space science is as consistent as possible with the mission of these devices.

• EGSE

As mentioned in the PCB design, a single board was intended to have all the necessary elements to be able to test and develop practices in an educational environment. So although we have a device that emulates a PocketQube that transmits data through a LoRa radio, it is necessary to have a receiver.

Thus, the board includes a receiver called “EGSE” (Electrical Ground Support Equipment), which in a space mission, is the equipment used on the ground to interconnect and verify aerospace systems, hardware and software before launch.

In our case the EGSE is a section of the USB dongle card, which contains a Raspberry microcontroller and a LoRa module to receive messages from the PocketQube Kit.

PAYLOAD - Sun Sensor

Unfortunately, there was no stock of these sensors for my country at the time of purchase.

Part 4.- Assembly

04.16.2025 The PCBs and stencils have arrived!

The assembly of the board was done manually due to equipment limitations, but also because of the need to validate each of the components that make up the board.

Several design details were detected that, although they have allowed to validate the first prototype, they encourage to improve a new design in the future.

The following is a recapitulation of the assembly of the board.

Part 5.- First Results

In the tests performed on the XPK, it was possible to verify that it was recognized by the Visual Studio Code environment.

It was also possible to perform a test to measure the consumption of the XPK while it was charging the battery.

Finally, one of the reasons for designing the board in this way was to make the user have to break the board to be able to assemble a PocketQube according to the standard. The following video shows the stage where the board is broken and then the PocketQube is assembled.